Office cabinet having shelf-forming closures



NOV. 9, 1948. R D- HlNTON 2,453,129

OFFICE CABINET- HAVING SHELF-FORMING CLOSURES Filed Sept. 5, 1944 y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wuenfo Q) Bag l). Hb'non @Noruega -N06l. 9, 19,48.' R, D, HINTQN4 2,453,129

' OFFICE CABINET HAVING SHELF-FORMING cLosUREs l Filed Sept- 5. ,1944. y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 9, 1948 UNITED STATES yPATENT OFFICE OFFICE CABINET HAVING SHELF-FORMNG CLOSURES amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a collapsible office unit, and more particularly to a collapsible combined desk and file cabinet which also provides a typewriter support and a storage space for the typewriter when it is not in use.

It is frequently necessary to perform oice work involving the use of a typewriter and a filing system under circumstances providing only very limited space or requiring frequent change of location; as for example in field work of various kinds. For such purposes it is highly desirable that the available work-surface and ling facilities be not only compact but also collapsible and readily portable; and this is especially difficult to achieve where a typewriter is involved.

The prior art provides numerous -varieties of collapsible typewriter tables or typewriter desks, but they seldom include include filing facilities of appreciable value, or if they do the unit as a whole is usually heavy and cumbersome, which mitigate against portability. Moreover, those units of existing design which do provide ample work space and filing facilities, in addition to accommodating the typewriter, usually do not lend themselves to disposal in a small space.

The present invention seeks to provide a combined desk and le cabinet which not only provides a typewriter supp-ort and a storage space for the typewriter when it is not in use; but one which is collapsible and self -contained whereby its portability and efficient storage is facilitated.

Another object is the provision of a device of the class described which consumes a minimum amount of space both when in use and in storage. l

Another object is the attainment of the foregoing objectives by a design which is inexpensive to manufacture and quite durable in service.

The invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and as particularly pointed out in the claim, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in' detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative of but one of a number of Ways in which the principle of the' invention may be employed.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a collapsible office unit made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, the same being shown in operative position with the ling facilities in exposed relationship, and the typewriter support and the work-surface extended and respectively supporting a typewriter and a stationery cabinet.

' Figure 2 is a perspective of the collapsible Office unit in fully collapsed state, all of the instrumentalities described immediately hereinbefore being fully enclosed thereby presenting a compact structure and one made up'entirely of substantially plane surfaces, whereby the unit may be readily transported or efficiently stored;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3 3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation on the line 4 4 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the unit of the present invention comprises a cabinet, the numerals I and 2 respectively designating the bottom and back members thereof while the side members are shown at 3 and 4. The bottom member I of the cabinet rests upon two cleats 5 which are attached to its underside,

`one lying immediately below each of the side members 3 and 4. This construction and arrangement permits the spacing of the bottom I from the ground or floor upon which the cabinet is to rest.-

The front of the cabinet comprises a pair of upper and lower panels 6 and 1, respectively. The upper front panel E is rigidly connected to the two side members 3 and 4 while the lower front panel 1 is hingedly connected as at 8 to the front panel 6.

Referring to Figs. l and 4, it will be perceived that the upper front panel 6 is considerably shorter than the hingedly mounted lower front panel 1, whereby the latter may be pivotally moved into 9, horizontal plane at an elevation which will permit its use as a work surface.

Within the space enclosed by the hinged lower front panel 1 is a pair of spaced lower and upper horizontal partition members I and I I which divide the cabinet into lower, intermediate and upper storage spaces.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the inner surfaces of the side members 3 and 4 are provided adjacent their bottoms with a pair of attached hori- Zonta] extending cleats I2 whichform a pair of ways I3 for the reception of a slidably removable board I4 to which may be attached a typewriter I5 of standard design. Thus, the lower storage space may be utilized for the reception of a typewriter in the manner aforesaid.

Between the lower and upper horizontal partitions l and H is a vertical partition member I6 which divides the space into one which is divisible by means of a horizontal partition member I1 to receive upper and lower sliding drawers 20 arid 2l, respectively.

The space `defined by the lower andupper horizontall partition members Il? and El' andthe. vertical partition member 6 on its side opposite that which cooperates with the horizontal partition member l1 is undivided, .whereby it .may be used for the reception of miscellaneous oce paraphernalia of substanital size (not shown).

The upper storage space of the cabinet-ifi. e.

above the upper horizontal ypartition member Il) is provided with two series of spaced 'vertical partition elements, the said seriesbeing right-angularly disposed with respect to each other, as shown at 22 and 23; .The series -22 extends fully between the side members 3 and 4 from adjacent the upper front panel 6 to a pointabout midway of the depthofV .the cabinet` .Theseries .2.3. of spaced vertical partition elements, extends between the' back member [2 and...the..innermost element of the series22` from adjacent the side member 4 to a point about midway of fthe width of the cabinet. This construction and arrangement provides ,a storage space. of substantial size at .the right-hand rear of the cabinet which may, if desired, be. used to accommodate. a removable stationery cabinet 125.

.The side member 41s. cutaway along its. upper end to receive ashort extension panel '28. to. which there is connected in right-angular relationship the top 29 of the cabinet. The lower end ofr the panelZll is hingedly connected, as at :30 to the upper end of the side member 4, whereby the.

top. A2.9 ofthe cabinet may be swung outwardly to occupy an outboard horizontal plane. in the mannerillustrated in Figs. l, 3 and fi., .While in thsoutboard position the top 2a of the cabinet may` support the hoard `I4 .and its. attached. typewriter I5, and .when the lower front panelf'l is elevated to the horizontal, atypist may occupy aposition at 'the typewriter. withthe said panel l athisimmediate rghtto thereby provide a. worksurface which is. suitable for numerous. purposes. incl-udingthe handy disposition of the stationery cabinet 25.

. I Ihe, lower frontpanel 'land tlriertopZS.` of .the cabinet .maybe sustained in the horizontal positions .describedby any suitable. means. In connection with the lower front panel fl, one acceptableform of support is illustrated as comprising clips 32 having central recesses 33 for the reception of the ends of a supporting rod 34 having extremities of cross sectioncorresponding to the contours ofthe said recesses. According to this embodiment the innersurface of thelower front panelj'l carries,` aclip`32 adjacent the centerof its outer end while a similar clip is correspondingly disposed on the upper surface of the bottom l. of the. cabinet.

.The top 29 of the cabinet may be supported -by a4 pair of rods 36 having flattened and angularly extending'ends/Bl whichv seat in detents 38-in the surfaces of the side member 4and they saidf top. These flattened and angularly extending ends 3,1 (of-therods 3B) are retained in the detents'38 byl means of small plates 39 'whichpartiallyy overli-'ethel detents.

vposition to form a second outwardly extendingk -portation and storage. l,and..,the.top 29may be locked in closed position :byxmeansof the conventional latching devices -41; and carrying handles 42 may be attached to ,'.tllefzside members 3 and 4.

Qthermodes of applying the principles oi the inventionmay be employed, changes being made yas regards the details described, providing the features stated in any of the following claim, or

' the equivalent-,of such, beemployed.

"Having 'thus-described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is: .y

A cabinet adapted to enclose o'lice equipment and to be extended to support said .office equipment in position for use, said Vcabinet being subv stantiallyrectangular .and'havingfour vertical walls, alllof said walls of said cabinet being Lsubstantially coextensive in height when said cabinet' is closed, one of said walls being hmizontally` divided into a stationary lower. vportion and anf upper portion hinged'thereto and adapted to' swing outwardly and downwardlytc occupyjla substantially verticalposition, the cabinet having a top wall xedto the outer end of the hinged upper vportion of said' horizontally divided wall whereby i'tmay assume a horizontal position to' forman outwardly extending shelf, the `next 'ad'- jacent rightlangularly extending wall being horii zontally divided intoa stationary upper portion and alower portion hinged thereto and adapted.'

for upward swinging movement into a horizontal shelfT the bottom of said cabinet being connecte to thelower edgesof all` but said second-named wall, and means iorsupporting both of 'said shelves in their 4outwardly extending positions,

the horizontal position occupied by said rstnamed outwardly .extending shelf being substantially` lower than the top of the cabinet and the horizontal, position occupied by said secondnamed outwardly extendingshelf being substantial'ly lower than that ofi said first-named out.-

ivardly extending shelf.

RAY D. I-IINTON.

lR-llliERENChl CITED The following references le of this. patent.:

UNITED STATES PATENTS are of record inthe Number Name Date ,521,067 wood Jones, 1.394 '919,052 Miller Apr. 20, 1909I 1,118,607 Wiesehan Nov. 24, 1914.

1,365,960v Abbett Jan. .18, 1921 2,156,776 Drover May'2, 1989 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 546,375 Germany Mar. 1'2, v1932' 

